Drain control device



April 7, 1951 o. w. KADDATZ 2,549,204

DRAIN CONTROL DEVICE Filed Sept. 11, 1945 05041 W KQCZ dLZZZ,

INVENTOR. Byzfa:

Patented Apr. 17, i951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,549,204 5 DRAIN CONTROL DEVICE Oscar W. Kaddatz, Chicago, Ill. Application September 11, 1945, Serial No. 615,679

' My invention relates to drain conduits in the basements of dwellings and other buildings, and more particularly to devices designed to check back water from the street sewer when the latter is flooded by heavy rains, and my main object is to provide an improved device of this kind in which back water in the drain conduit is automatically cut oif when it rises to a high level.

A further object is to include an improved electrically operated valve which is actuated by the excessive rise of back water in the drain conduit to block the back flow in the same.

Another object is to provide an improved arrangement comprising a pump which automatically goes into action when the back water has been cut off to transfer excess water from the house drain conduit to the conduit connecting with the street sewer.

An important object is to design a drain control device which is simple and conveniently located. 7

With the above objects in view and any others which may suggest themselves from the description to fol1ow,.a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in whichr Fig. l is a sectional View showing the device installed;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sections on the lines 2-2 and 3-3 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Drain systems connecting with a clay sewer are subject to flooding during heavy rains due to the limited capacity of the sewer. This dimculty could be overcome by constructing a cast iron sewer, but such a process is expensive and beyond the budget of the average home owner. It has therefore been my intention to solve the difficulty by the installation of a simple and compact unit in the drain conduit, such installation being reasonable in cost.

In accordance with the foregoing, specific reference to the drawing indicates the cement basement floor at ill, the drain conduit leading from the house plumbing at H, and that leading to the street sewer at I2. For the purpose of the present invention the floor I is made with a pit l3, which is covered by a removable floor plate [4.

The novel device is designed for installation as a unit in the line of the drain conduits II and I2 and therefore carries an intermediate pipe I5 whose ends are enlarged as indicated at [6 to receive the respective conduits and make cemented joints l'l therewith. The pipe l5 forms part of a cast housing l8 and divides the lower 1 Claim. (Cl. 1821) portion of the latter into a pair of laterallyspaced compartments. The housing receives a cover IS, the latter and the rim of the housing being marginally flanged at 20 to receive bolts 2| and nut 22 for securing the cover to the housing.

The cover I9 is formed with a bearing 23 for the vertical passage of a stem 24 carrying a disc valve 25 at its lower end. Below the valve the pipe has a transverse pocket 26 dimensioned to receive the valve, the pocket being lined by guide flanges 2! for this purpose. Thus, Figs. 2 and 3 show that the valve has partly entered the pipe; and the valve is designed to descend into the pipe until passage in the latter is fully blocked, so that back water from the sewer conduit I 2 cannot flow into the house drain conduit II and rise to flood the basement floor.

conduit 12 is made with a series of slots 28 in one side to communicate with the corresponding compartment of the housing. Such compartment contains a float 29 whose vertical stem 30 rises through a bearing 3| in the cover l9 to enter a switch box 32. A stand 33 over the cover carries a solenoid 34, the armature of which is formed by a continuation of the valve stem 24. Suitable wiring 35 is provided to complete a circuit in which the rise of the float stem 30 actuates a switch to operate the solenoid 34 in a manner to lower the valve 25 as previously mentioned. The float 29 is positioned to be raised when the water in the pipe I 5 and the compartment of the housing containing the float has risen to a high level or a point approaching the top of the pipe, and the closing of the valve 25 thus prevents water at such level from passing into the portion of the pipe leading to the drain conduit II.

It is desirable to remove the accumulation of back water in the house drain conduit in order to render the same normally serviceable, and means are provided in the unit for this purpose. It is noted that the portion of the pipe l5 leading to the drain conduit H is formed with a series of slots 35 on the side opposite from the slots 28. Water from the pipe can therefore also pass into the corresponding compartment of the housing, and such compartment has a bottom sump 36. The latter contains a casing 31 for a pump 38 whose shaft 39 rises through a columnar extension 3912 of the casing, the extension containing an inlet 39?). The shaft rises through the cover l9 to form the armature 40 of an electric motor 4| included in the circuit of the solenoid and operable concurrently with the same,

The casing 31 communicates with a tube 42 which leads into the top of the portion of the pipe l5 which connects with the drain conduit l2, the tube 42 in by-passing relation to the valve rising with a loop sufilciently high normally to preclude the passage of back water from such portion through the tube. The pump by going into action when the valve 25 is closed removes water standing in the drain conduit II and the compartment ofjthe housing served by the pipe slots 35, transferring such water to the outgoing portion of the pipe. come cleared; and the restoration of the sewer circulation will cause the water level in the out'* goin pipe portion and float chamber to fall. Now the switch in the box 32 will cut off the solenoid current. I A coil spring 43 carried by the valve stem 24 and originally compressed by a stem washer 44 will now retract the valve and restore communication between the drain conduits Hand (2'.

It willbe evident from the above description that a unit is provided which acts automatically in ,the event a tendency arises to flood the house drain system, stopping the back water from. rising in the same. The automatic i'eature' not only relieves the occupants of the house of concorn or attention in case. the emergency arises, but also saves-flooding and damage in the event ofa rainstorm or downpour when. the occupants are away. Further, the housing sections provide room for the float and pump units, leaving the pipe I 5' clear of obstructions when in normal oprhe house drains thus bee eratio-n. In addition, the device is a self-cone t'ained'. unit'wliich may be easily, installed by the average plumber and occupies a position which is out of the way and concealed from view. Further, the provision of a convenient basement pit for the device renders it easy to install, remove or'attend; Finally, the'device is of a character a to be inexpensively built and sold at a reason- 4 changes and refinements as coming within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

A drain control device designed to be interposed between a house drain and a conduit leading to a sewer, comprising a housing, alined pipe sections disposed in the lower portion of the housing and with their outer ends connecting with said house drain and conduit, respectively, said pipe sections beinghormally in communication at their inner ends and dividing the lower portion of the housing into a pair of laterally spaced compartments, openings in opposite sides of said pipe sections and communicating with said compartments to connect them with the house drainand conduit, respectively, a valve in the upper portion or the housing and movable downwardly to shut off communication between the inner ends of the pipe sections, a float in the compartment communicating with the con- 7 duit and liftable by an abnormal rise of water Insuch compartment, means operated. by. the rise of the float to procure the stated movement of the valve, a pump chamber in the; bottom of the compartment communicating with the house drain and extended with anoutlet tube leading into the pipe section communicating with the conduitin b-y-passing relation to said valve, such tube being, in the form ,of a loop. risin to a suificient height at its intermediate portion to normally prevent the passage of'baek" water through, the tube, and means also actuatedby the rise of the float to put said pump into action.

, OSCAR W. KADDATZ.

REFERENCES CITED; I

The following references are' of record in the file of this patent? UNITED STATESIPA'IVENTS Number Name 7 Date 1,732,319 Wagner a- Oct. 22, 1929 .l,779,040 Hardacker et a1. Oct-.21, 1930 2,347,544 DeCosta et a1. Apr. 25,. 1944 2,421,066 Howe May 27,5194? 

